I like playing with savory and sweet.
I like flipping the two around and taking something that is usually savory and making it sweet.
For my parents 25th wedding anniversary I made them a meal at home and for dessert did my take on the dessert burger from the Burger Bar in Las Vegas. It was a chocolate ganache patty on a Krispy Kreme donut bun with raspberry sauce for ketchup, mango gelatin slice for cheese, and mint for lettuce. I had no clue what I was doing but it was really fun to make.
Salt and pepper are the most basic seasonings out there. I bet most everyone has heard of salted caramel ____. You fill in the blank. I’ve seen salted caramel cookies, cupcakes, hot chocolate–you name it.
I had the bizarre thought…if you can add salt to a caramel sauce, why not pepper?
I tried it and liked it…a lot.
The pepper took on a smoky taste that I think tasted amazing with the caramelized sugar.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
{Vanilla Ice Cream with Salted Caramel & Pepper Sauce}
Makes 1 Quart
Base adapted from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Ingredients
- 2 c. half & half
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 1/2 c. cream
- A vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
- 3/4 c. sugar
- 1 tbsp. corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 oz. cream cheese, softened
- Salted Caramel & Pepper Sauce *see below*
- Combine 1/2 c. half & half with the cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside. Place cream cheese in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large saucepan combine the remaining half & half, cream, vanilla seeds, sugar, and corn syrup. Heat over medium heat until it simmers.
- Let simmer 4-5 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
- Remove 1/2 c. of the warm liquid and whisk into the cream cheese.
- Add the cream cheese mixture back to the saucepan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Take a gallon size ziploc bag and line a bowl or food storage container with it. This will help keep structure to the bag. Pour the hot liquid into the bag and seal; trying to eliminate as much as from inside the bag as you can.
- Remove the bag from the container and set in an ice bath for 20-30 minutes to chill the mixture.
- Once cooled, pour the ice cream base into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Transfer to a container and freeze until firm.
{Salted Caramel & Pepper Sauce}
Ingredients
- 1 c. sugar
- 2 tbsp. corn syrup
- 3/4 c. cream
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- In a heavy bottom saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup with 1/4 c. water. Heat over medium heat. Let the mixture bubble away until the sugar turns amber in color, 5-6 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk in the cream. Be careful as the hot sugar will bubble up and splatter.
- Once the cream is whisked in, add the vanilla extract, and heat back up over medium heat. Whisk until the sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the salt and pepper and stir until dispersed in the sauce.
- Transfer to a container and refrigerate. Sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Wow, this looks really interesting! I would have never thought to add pepper. Yum!
It’s a great combo Riley! Instead of being super spicy it was more mellow and smoky. Hard to describe but so good!